Heavy snowfall has brought major roads to a standstill in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. In Chitral, a roof collapsed due to snow, resulting in the deaths of nine people, including four women and five men. The Karakoram Highway has been closed at various points due to snow and landslides in Chillas and Upper Kohistan, trapping hundreds of passengers and trucks.
Commissioner Rawalpindi, Amir Khattak, has announced that the snowfall has resumed in Muree, and the entry point from Rawalpindi-Islamabad to Muree has been closed. The snowfall has transformed the landscape in the country’s northern regions, with mountains and trees covered in snow, and the landscape frozen in time.
In the past few days, various regions, including Abbottabad, Mansehra, Lower Dir, Bajaur, Malakand, Swat, Malakand, Khyber, North Waziristan, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, have experienced significant snowfall, affecting road connectivity and causing the mercury to drop further. The snowfall has been particularly severe in Miran Shah and Mir Ali, areas that have not seen such weather conditions in years. Punjab Information Minister, Azma Bokhari, has advised tourists to avoid traveling to Muree.
Meanwhile, the snowfall has subsided in North Balochistan, but the region remains shrouded in a thick blanket of fog. Water has frozen on roads, pipes, and water tanks in Quetta, Qalat, Chaman, and Zhob, leading to a shortage of drinking water. The Quetta-Zhob highway has been closed at various points, and a ban has been imposed on tourists visiting the region for the next 24 hours.
As soon as the news broke, Chief Secretary, Zahid Zaman, along with all officials, rushed to the scene to oversee the rescue operations. The Pakistan Navy has successfully conducted a rescue operation in the Indian Ocean, while in Lahore, a man has been arrested for allegedly selling 20 kilograms of fake gold in the Acherah Market.
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Senator Rana Sanaullah, has suggested that Pakistan should stand by Bangladesh in the ongoing T20 World Cup controversy. In Karachi, the process of identifying the bodies recovered from the burnt-out Gul Plaza building is still underway.
In Rajanpur’s Kacha area, 24 more wanted dacoits surrendered during an operation. The Karachi Municipal Corporation has announced plans to rebuild 418 roads across the city. The Federal Board of Revenue’s regional tax office in Peshawar has seized 6,400,854 kilograms of smuggled tobacco.
Chief Fire Officer, Humaun Khan, has stated that the search operations at the Gul Plaza site are ongoing, and the debris has been significantly cleared. Governor Punjab, Sardar Saleem Haider, has addressed the Pakistani community in Glasgow, Scotland, during his visit.
The Sindh Building Control Authority has launched a survey of buildings in three districts of Karachi, following the tragic fire at the Gul Plaza building. Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has stated that the 18th Amendment is facing opposition due to its controversial clauses.
Over 3,000 cat-killing cases have been reported in Karachi since January 1. Human rights lawyers, Iman Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chatha, have been sentenced in a controversial tweet case. The International Cricket Council has officially expelled Bangladesh from the 2026 T20 World Cup.
